Blooming
by yaoilover17
Summary: What happens when James falls for the lovely vampire Lily? Read and find out! Please review
1. Chapter 1

This is purely from my imagination. The characters are mine, and the story is mine. ENJOY!

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The maroon brick building rose up three stories in front of him. From the front, the school campus looked small but the teenage boy knew how big it was from the brochures. He clutched his black messenger bag that was slung across his shoulder. A slight breeze ruffled his black feather hair and baggy, deep red shirt. His black Converses made tapping sounds as he walked to the boarding school's front door, rolling his black suitcase behind them.

The air inside the building felt natural, not too hot, yet not too cold. He looked to his left and right, seeing closed classroom doors and janitor closets. The tiled floors were a nice color.

'Okay, according to this paper, the main offices are…right in front of me', he thought to himself, looking up.

An open door let out small noises like ruffling paper and phones ringing. An inviting atmosphere seemed to pull him in and he walked in. He stepped up to a large desk which was neatly organized. A plumb woman with chestnut brown hair sat in the chair with her back turned to him.

"Um…hello?" the boy said, leaning against the oak, waist-high desk. The woman looked at him with clear, hazel eyes.

"Oh, hello! Sorry, I didn't see you walk in. How may I help you?" she asked smiling.

"I'm the new student, James Durem," the boy replied. James pulled out a small packet of papers from his bag. "Here are my papers."

The woman took the papers and read over them quickly and nodded. "Welcome to Lucky Clovers Boarding School, Mr. Durem. I'm Ms. Scarlett and I'm glad to be the one to welcome you here. Why don't you take a seat and I'll call a student down to give you a tour," Ms. Scarlett gestured to some chairs.

James sat down and took in the large office. Off to the left and right were hallways and probably offices.

His head snapped to the door when he heard the soft tapping of footsteps, and his eyes widened at what he saw.

A girl with soft brown hair pulled back and sea-blue eyes looked him over. She wore a white button up shirt and a knee length, blue skirt; tan sandals covered her feet.

'Whoa…Usually I don't like girls like her, but I could use a change of pace,' James thought to himself.

"Ah, Lily, there you are. Thank you for being the tour guide again. I truly appreciate it," Ms. Scarlett called from behind her desk.

"No problem at all, Ms Scarlett," the girl, Lily, called back. Her gaze shifted to James. "Are you the new student?"

"Uh yeah." He stood up and offered his hand which she shook. "I'm James Durem."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Lily Stower. As Ms. Scarlett said, I'll be your tour guide. First, we'll go to your dorm so we can drop off your suitcase. Did you get a room key?"

"Oh, crud! I knew I forgot to give him something!" Ms. Scarlett exclaimed from her desk. She typed on her computer then tossed something to Lily. "His dorm is Room 320."

"Okay, Ms. Scarlett. I'll see you later. Take care," Lily waved. She chuckled when Ms. Scarlett didn't reply. "So, welcome to Lucky Clovers, James. You're probably wondering why that's our school's name. The headmaster's mother found 4-leaf clovers all around campus and that inspired the name."

"Hm. Interesting inspiration. Where are all the trophy cases and posters?"James asked.

"In the back building; along with the dorms, cafeteria, swimming pool, and staff dorms."

"Wow. It sounds like a building to get lost in," James whistled. He noticed two sets of double doors ahead.

"Not really. The cafeteria, swimming pool, and staff dorms are on the first floor; girl dorms on the second, and boy dorms on the third. The pool is open at all times but closes at 7:30."

"You seem like you've rehearsed this tour lecture."

Lily shrugged. "I guess you can say that. Let's just say you haven't been the first student I've given a tour."

They walked through the doors and James' jaw dropped. He saw thick trees all around, a few benches set evenly throughout the area, and a dirt path leading to the back building.

"Wow…This place seems way better than a boarding school," James said.

"That was my reaction too. Now I love it here."

They turned around to see a girl with sandy blonde hair wearing a lavender button up shirt and jean knee shorts with tan sandals. She was carrying a rainbow colored backpack.

"James, this is Brandy, one of my closest friends. Aren't you supposed to be in class, Brandy?" Lily smiled, putting her hands on her hips.

"The bell just rang and I was heading to my dorm," Brandy stuck her tongue out which caused Lily to laugh. "So I'm guessing that you're giving a tour again?"

"Yep. We were just heading to his dorm. We can walk together."

"Sweet." Brandy took the lead and began walking backwards. "So what dorm do you have?"

"Room 320," James replied. He turned around and begun walking backwards as well and Lily followed suit. James started laughing at the other students as they shook their heads and smiled.

"Hm…so you'll be rooming with Shane. Lucky. He's one of our best friends. I just hope…" Brandy didn't finish her sentence and James raised an eyebrow.

"Oh my gosh, you're right Brandy! I hope the same thing," Lily stated. She began walking normal again and put a hand to her chin. "I think Shane should be in there by now and if not, you'll meet him at lunch. He's a really great guy."

"So James, where did you transfer from?" Brandy asked. She also began walking normally.

"Actually I moved from the East Coast. My mom, sister and I don't live far from here; maybe about five miles but the other school didn't really interest me so my mom enrolled me here," James replied. He started walking normally between the two girls.

"Oh you mean Storm's Cross? Yeah, a lot of students transfer from there. They say the school is just way too strict, like no colorful banners or anything. I was gonna go there but my parents and I quickly changed our minds," Brandy said.

"So is there a rivalry between Clovers and Cross?" James asked. Brandy and Lily looked at each other and Brandy pointed to her.

"Well…sort of…You see Cross is upset that many students are leaving to come here. They've changed a lot of things to appeal to the students but nothing really helps. I've got a cousin that goes there and he hates it. He really wants to transfer but his parents won't let him; they think he's over exaggerating. I believe what he says," Lily explained. "Clovers and Cross are really competitive when it comes to sports; they may have the better athletes, but we have the better spirit and that really boosts our players."

They stepped through some double doors and James saw many students walking into the cafeteria. He was worried that he and his new friends wouldn't have anywhere to sit. He also saw two staircases on each side of the cafeteria and he groaned which caused Lily to laugh.

"Don't worry, there are elevators near the staff dorm," Lily explained. James sighed in relief.

"Hey Lily, would you take this up to my dorm? I'm going to see if Shane is already in the café," Brandy asked while handing Lily her backpack and key ring necklace.

"Sure. Oh, and if you see Derek in there, tell him that I was a tour guide and there's no reason to worry about me being late," Lily rolled her eyes.

"Copy that good buddy." Brandy saluted and walked into the cafeteria.

"So who's Derek? An obsessed boy?" James asked.

"He's more than that. He's my boyfriend…" Lily mumbled. James rose his eyebrows.

"I'm not surprised."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not surprised that you have a boyfriend. You seem like an awesome person." James turned to look at her and the seriousness in his expression caused Lily to blush.

"Well, thank you. Thank you very much."

They made it the elevators and rode up in an awkward silence since Lily was still blushing. They walked to James' dorm first and Lily unlocked the door. James had to admit: it was fairly nice. There were two beds, two desks, two dressers between the beds, and a door off to the right. They walked in and James set his suitcase on the unoccupied bed.

"Shane? Are you in here?" Lily called out; there wasn't a reply and she shrugged. She walked to the unoccupied desk and opened a drawer then handed James a chain necklace. "This is for your key. The staff refers that you wear it as a necklace so you won't lose it." James slipped on the key then slipped the cold, silver chain around his neck. "Now we just have to stop by Brandy's dorm then down to lunch. You chose to come on a good day: its pizza day."

"You and Brandy don't share a dorm?" James asked; Lily shook her head. "I assumed you did since you girls seem really close." They walked back to the elevator and pressed the "2" button.

"Many people assume that so no worries. We're just close because she was my tour guide. I started here the same year she did, just a month late. Ever since, we've been like sisters. She does get a little eccentric though but she knows how to make anyone smile and laugh. She says she hates it when people frown when it isn't raining," Lily explained.

They made it the second floor and walked to room 220. Lily unlocked the door and placed Brandy's backpack on the unmade bed. Then they took the elevator to the first floor. They could see that very many students were in the cafeteria and not many open spaces were left.

"Okay so we can go get food first or go to the table first. It's your choice," Lily said.

"Let's go get food first. I'm starving," James put his hand to his stomach and make a sickly expression which caused Lily to giggle.

They went through the lunch line then Lily scanned the area for Brandy and smiled when she saw her waving crazily. She motioned for them to hurry. Lily and James managed to walk through a maze of students and tables and saw that there were two empty seats at the table where Brandy was sitting.

"Thanks Brandy. Here's your key back," Lily took off the necklace and tossed it to Brandy then sat down next to a boy with blonde hair and an awful sneer.

"Hey babe. What took you so long?" the boy put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek then sneered at James. "And why were you with him?"

"I told you Derek, she was his tour guide and I asked her to stop by my dorm," Brandy explained, rolling her eyes. The boy, Derek, shot her a nasty look.

"I don't see why you couldn't do it yourself, Brandy," he said her name in a disgusting tone.

"She didn't know if I was in here or not and she wanted to be nice and save us a table. Thank you, by the way, Brandy," another boy said. This boy had black hair and wore a Venom baggy shirt. He was casually sipping Coca-Cola. Derek rolled his eyes. The boy turned to James and looked him over but in a nice way. "So Brandy tells me you're my new roommate. Sweet, I've been lonely with that extra bed."

"Way to sound like a creeper Shane," Brandy playfully punched his arm and he chuckled.

"She tells you the truth. My name's James Durem and I just started here today. Thanks for being my tour guide Lily," James said, opening a Pepsi.

"No problem. I enjoyed giving you a tour," Lily replied. Derek's grip tightened which caused her to flinch. "Cool off, Derek. You have no reason to get jealous or anything."

"Yeah dude. I don't flirt with taken girls," James stated. He could already tell that he wasn't going to like this guy; just like the others.

"Smart move. I didn't want to kick your ass on your first day here, James," Derek sneered.

"Language!" Brandy called out. Shane just rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, James, what is your opinion on gays and bisexuals?"

"They don't bother me at all. At my old school, my best friend was gay. He was eccentric and he flaunted it but I didn't mind at all. I'm glad that he wasn't afraid to be gay," James replied. "I figure the world is harsh on them enough yet they've done nothing wrong so why should I be the same?"

"You, kind sir, are my new best friend," Brandy got up from her chair and came over to hug James. Everyone else, except Derek, laughed as James tried to hug her back while sitting in his chair.

"You hear that, faggot? You've got nothing to worry about," Derek called out.

Shane crushed his Coca-Cola can and was about to throw it at Derek's head which would've been funny. Luckily, it didn't seem as if the surrounding tables heard what he said. Shane got up and grabbed his black backpack and stormed off. Then Brandy turned to Derek and glared.

"You're a real asshole, you know that?" She let go of James and chased after the pissed off boy. Lily got up to do the same but Derek grabbed her wrist.

"You're not going anywhere babe. That faggot can cry to that bitch Brandy," he said harshly.

"You know what? We're through Derek. I've gotten really tired of your bullshit. You had no reason to go and say that," Lily broke her wrist free and looked to James.

"I'm right behind you, Lily," James stood up and took off after her. Derek sat there in shock.

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**In the weight room beside the swimming pool:**

Lily and James walked in to see Shane hitting a punching bag rapidly and harshly; he had a pissed off look on his face.

"Shane!" Lily called out and rushed over to him. He stopped to turn and look at her. "You have nothing to worry about. I broke up with him. He's just lucky I didn't let you kick his ass or he would be in the hospital." That made him smirk; then he saw James.

"Look…James…" Shane just dropped his arms. "I'm sorry about what happened back there… It's just if I didn't get out of there, I would've fought him and I really don't want to get suspended." James came forward and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it dude. I don't blame you. If you didn't fight him, I would have," James smiled. "But he was right; not about the faggot thing, 'cause you're not a faggot, but about the part where I don't mind. It doesn't bother me at all. Just don't start drooling when you see me come out of the shower in a towel." That statement caused everyone to laugh.

"Sorry, but you're not my type exactly," Shane replied. He and James shook hands while the girls just stood by and smiled.

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'Man this has been one hell of a first day,' James thought as he and Shane walked back to their dorm. Lily and Brandy had already gone back to their dorms to prepare for the afternoon classes.

"So what am I supposed to do? I've got my schedule but…" James asked; Shane shrugged.

"Maybe you should try the office. Your official first day doesn't start until tomorrow. I should tell you: classes start at 7:15 AM and I usually wake up at 6:15. Sometimes I like to go down to the café and get breakfast," Shane replied. "Dinner is served in the cafeteria at 7:00 and curfew is 8:30."

"Sounds good to me. How much time do you have until your next class?"

"I've got about six minutes. Why?"

"I wanted some advice about Clovers while I unpack." He unlocked their dorm door and went to his suitcase. Shane sat down in his desk chair and smirked.

"Okay. First piece of advice: swing by the staff dorms and get some blankets for your bed," Shane said chuckling. James looked at his bed.

"I knew I forgot something! Thanks for telling me. What I really want to know is how many classes I have with you, Brandy and Lily."

"I'll just make you a chart." And with that said, Shane began writing.

Within minutes, James had finished unpacking and Shane handed him a chart with everyone's classes on it.

"Thanks man; this'll help me," James said.

Just as they began walking down the stairs, the elevator came to a stop and Lily walked out.

"Hey guys. I'm glad I caught up with you," she said waving.

"Hey Lily. I was just going to get some blankets," James told her.

"That actually works out because we haven't finished our tour and I figured we could get your textbooks," she explained.

"Sure but what about your classes?" James asked as they boarded the elevator.

"My fifth slot is being an office aid."

"Slot?"

"Not everyone can think of enough credited classes to take so they can choose to be an office aid or a library aid," Shane explained. James gave him a look of understanding.

"So basically I don't have a fifth class," Lily put in.

They made it to the first floor and Shane left for class. Then Lily and James made their way to the staff dorms and she knocked on the door. A woman with dark brown hair answered the door; she was wearing a dark green dress with black sandals.

"Hello Lily. How can I help you?" she asked smiling.

"James here needs some blankets and a pillow," Lily replied. James gave a slight wave.

"I'm afraid you'll have to give me some time to wash some. What color would you like? We have blue, black, green, red, yellow, pink and white."

"Black, please," James requested.

"Okay, come back in about ten minutes and I'll have them for you."

"Thanks Ms. Scott," Lily said and she waved.

Once they were walking on the dirt path, James decided to ask Lily a bothering question.

"Lily…why were you dating Derek? He's such an ass. I assume that he's always been that way," he asked with a concerned look.

"My father and I made a deal. Last year, he was going to transfer me to another school but when he met Derek, he said that if I started to date him, he would let me stay at Clovers. So I told him yes," Lily explained sadly.

"Your father approved of him? I'm guessing that Derek is an athletic star or something for a parent to like him."

"You've got that right, you little punk."

A few feet ahead, Derek stepped from behind a tree. James stepped in front of Lily and got into a defensive stance.

"What do you want, Derek?" Lily called out.

"Well that should be obvious, Lily dear. I want you," Derek said pathetically. "And if it weren't for James, you would still be mine."

"You're wrong! I was going to break up with you, James or no James," Lily took a step towards him. "I got sick of you mistreating my friends! I-"

She got cut off by Derek who slapped her across the face. She was so surprised when he slapped her that she fell to the ground. Then she saw James tackle Derek and they both went down. Lily rushed forward and threw her arms around James when he made a fist.

"No! James, he isn't worth it! I don't want you getting suspended on your first day!" Lily sobbed. James lowered his hand then helped Lily to her feet.

He gently turned Lily's head so he could see the wound; her cheek was really red. He would've started pummeling Derek if Lily hadn't been holding onto his arm so tightly.

"Forget about him. He'll get his punishment. Look, Mr. Aarons is coming," Lily pointed to a short man, about 5'5", jogging towards them.

"What on Earth is going on? Lily, have you fallen down or something?" he asked.

"Derek slapped her, sir," James explained, finally cooling off. When Derek stood up, James fully blocked Lily so he couldn't hurt her again.

"Is this true, Derek?" Mr. Aarons folded his arms across his chest; Derek just shrugged. "Very well. All of you come with me. We're going to see Mrs. Bethell."

The three students and teacher walked to the main offices while being stared at by others. James noticed Lily was still holding onto him but her grip had loosened. He wanted to tell her but it felt nice. The redness of her check had decreased but you could still tell something had happened. They stopped in front of a large office with its door open. A woman with silver hair pulled into a bun was sitting at a very large oak desk. She looked up when Mr. Aarons cleared his throat.

"Mrs. Bethell, I found these students walking towards the main building when evidently, Derek slapped her," Mr. Aarons explained.

"I see. Children, please take a seat. Thank you, Mr. Aarons. Was there a witness?" she asked.

"Yes." He motioned for another person to enter the room. "This is Amy. She informed me of what happened."

The girl had hazel eyes and light brown hair pulled into a messy bun. She was wearing a blue sun dress and tan sandals. Her cheeks were tinted pink so she appeared to be very shy.

"Very well. Please take a seat, Amy," Mrs. Bethell motioned to an empty leather chair; Amy sat down slowly. "Now, why don't you tell me what happened?"

"I was walking towards the main building when I heard people yelling. I got closer to the commotion and hid behind a tree. I heard Derek blaming the new boy for being dumped. Then when Lily tried to explain, Derek slapped her. The new boy tackled him to the ground and was about to punch him, but Lily stopped him. That's when Mr. Aarons came in," Amy explained. Mrs. Bethell nodded.

"Thank you Amy." Mrs. Bethell turned to Lily, James, and Derek. "Derek, you're suspended for three days and James, you get one day of detention."

"What? He tackled me to the ground!" Derek jumped up, enraged.

"Did it hurt severely?"

"Yes!"

"Fine. James you get two days of detention." Mrs. Bethell pushed a button on the PA system. "Officer Davis, please come to my office." She released the button. "James, Lily, and Amy, you may leave. James, your first day of detention will be tomorrow at 2:30."

They left the office and stood outside in the hallway. James was still upset that Derek had slapped Lily. Her cheek wasn't swollen or red anymore but everyone was still upset. Then he turned to Amy and decided to properly introduce himself.

"Thanks for that. I probably would've gotten the same punishment as Derek if you weren't there," he extended his hand. "I'm James, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Amy. I'm glad I could be of help," she shook his hand, and then turned to Lily. "Are you okay? That was awful when he slapped you." Lily nodded in agreement. "Well, I've got to get to class so I'll talk to you guys later." Amy then waved and walked away.

"James…" Lily said softly. She was fidgeting with her hands and looking down at the ground.

"What's wrong, Lily? Are you still in pain?" James asked with full concern. He placed a gentle hand on her arm and she gave him a small smile.

"Just…Thank you for defending me. I know I may seem overdramatic but…" she looked away, blushing and James just smiled a little.

"It's perfectly understandable. And don't worry about it; no way was I going to let Derek just slap you and get away with it." Lily smiled at him again.

"C'mon, let's go get your textbooks."

The two friends went to each of James' classes yet he ended up only having five textbooks. Afterwards, he headed to the back building to get sheets and a pillow then headed to his dorm to get fully settled in.

'This is going to be one very interesting year,' he thought to himself as he organized his desk.

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**Me: so please review!**

**The reason I'm re-submitting this story is that it was getting too confusing with the split days…I've decided to just combine the chapters so they form one whole day. I'm really, really sorry for being so all over the place…I just needed some time to get my bearings together. **Chapters 1 & 2 combined

**What will happen when Derek comes back from suspension? How will James adjust to his new friends and classes? How will he react to Lily's secret? And why am I asking you all these questions? XD **


	2. Chapter 2

**Please review and tell me what I can make better. ENJOY! **

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James woke and momentarily freaked out because he didn't recognize his surroundings.

'Oh yeah…I'm at Clovers' Boarding School,' he thought to himself, sitting up.

He looked at the glowing red numbers of the alarm clock; it said 6:30am. He then focused on Shane's bed and saw it was empty but there was a faint light coming from the bathroom.

James climbed from his bed and turned on a lamp. He stretched his arms above his head before rummaging through his dresser. After finding and slipping on a pair of blue jeans, Shane emerged from the bathroom fully dressed.

"Good morning. Did I wake you?" Shane asked.

"Good morning and no you didn't. Sleep well?" James asked before pulling on a green Mountain Dew shirt.

"Yes. What about you?" James nodded. "It sucks that you've got detention."

"Oh well, it's no big deal. At least I didn't get suspended like Derek." He tied his black Air Speed shoes then walked to the bathroom. While he was spraying some cologne, he heard a cell phone's chime.

"Brandy and Lily are waiting for us on the second floor," Shane called to him. James figured that one of the girls texted him.

He grabbed his Chemistry, Algebra 2, and US History textbooks along with three spiral notebooks and some pencils and shoved them into his backpack. Shane was opening the door as James slipped on his key and they walked to the elevator.

Just as Shane said, Lily and Brandy were waiting for them. Lily was wearing a blue button up shirt with tan jean shorts and tan sandals. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and slightly curled. Brandy was wearing a bright pink shirt with jean knee shorts and Air Speed shoes. Her sandy hair fell gently to her shoulders. They both waved as the elevator came to a stop and they stepped on.

"Sleep well girls?" Shane asked.

"Wow Shane. You sound like a perv but yes we did, thanks for asking," Brandy replied. Lily and Shane chuckled.

"I'm sorry you have detention James," Lily apologized. Everyone gave her a surprised look.

"You've got nothing to apologize for, Lily. I chose to defend you," James replied, placing a hand on her shoulder. She gave him a small smile.

"Wait…What day is it?" Brandy asked, spreading her arms.

"It's Tuesday," Shane replied.

"OMG Its muffin day! Yes!" Brandy threw her hands in the air and everyone else laughed.

The four friends walked to the café once the elevator stopped on the first floor. There were a few other students in the café, some still half asleep and others fully awake. After going through the food line and sitting at a table, they began conversing about random subjects.

"So are you nervous about your classes, James?" Brandy asked before biting into a large banana-nut muffin; she gave a look of pure bliss.

"Just a little," James replied. "But I'm sure I won't die. Shane made a chart telling me how many classes I have with each of you."

"I wish you luck my friend," Brandy saluted him; they all laughed at her silliness.

"So have you guys heard about the new club?" Shane asked while pointing to a nearby flyer.

"Yeah it's called The Hideout. It opens next week. I'm pretty excited about it," Lily replied.

"Wait, so we're allowed to go off campus?" James asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, basically half the town is our campus so yeah, we're allowed to leave the school's campus," Shane replied, before sipping coffee. "We just have to have our school ID with us."

"That sounds awesome! I thought the atmosphere would be really tense and strict here but looks like I was wrong."

"We all thought the same thing but if you want strict, go to Storm's Cross. Man, that school is ridiculous," Lily explained.

"Oh yeah, you've got a cousin that goes there, right Lily?" Brandy asked. Lily nodded. "It sucks that he can't come here."

"Hey Lily," someone called out. They all turned towards the caller and saw a girl walking towards their table. She was wearing a white button up with a black tie around her neck and a black knee-length skirt that swayed as she walked; she also wore black sandals. Her black hair was curled and fell past her shoulders.

"Hi Anna. What's up?" Lily asked before drinking some French vanilla coffee.

"I heard what happened yesterday and I wanted to make sure you were okay," the girl replied.

"Yes I'm fine, thank you for your concern. Derek was just being a jerk, as usual."

"I'm glad to know you're doing well," Anna then turned her attention to James. "And I heard that you were the brave defender of Lily. I'm Anna." She stretched her hand towards him.

"I'm glad to meet you, I'm James. And thanks for calling me brave," James shook her hand. Anna nodded in response, and then turned to Brandy.

"Did you finish the US History homework, Brandy?" Anna asked politely.

"Yeah but I couldn't find the last two answers but no biggie," Brandy shrugged. Anna nodded again.

"Well I must be going. It was nice meeting you James." And with that said, Anna turned and walked away. James found her interesting.

"What's her story?" James motioned towards Anna.

"She doesn't really have one. No one really knows much about her but she's very nice. She's like the mom of the junior class; she helps people with homework and studying," Lily explained.

"I went to middle school with her. She didn't wear as much black back then and her hair was actually a dark brown color. Between seventh and eighth grade, however, something must have happened because she dyed her hair and started wearing more black, not that it's a bad thing, I'm just making an observation," Shane added. Then he looked at his watch and his eyebrows rose. "We better start heading to class; it's already 7:08. Luckily you've got Chemistry with me, James.

"Yeah I am lucky; I would've been so lost," James said while standing up. "We'll see you girls later." Shane and James walked away.

"Is everything okay, Lily? You've been very quiet," Brandy said, turning to her close friend.

"I just can't help but feel guilty about James getting detention," Lily replied. The two friends stood and walked out of the cafeteria.

"You've nothing to worry about; like James said: 'He chose to defend you.' He was probably returning the favor since you showed him around yesterday. He wants to be close to you, I can tell," Brandy said seriously.

"Yeah you're right. Thanks Brandy, you always make me feel better." Lily gave her a tight hug. "I better head to Theatre, we're painting today." They waved to each other and went their separate ways.

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**In Chemistry:**

James and Shane entered the room with five minutes to spare. They chose a black lab table in the middle of the room and took out their notebooks and pencils. James noticed a boy walking towards them and tapped Shane's hand.

"Hey Shane, what's up? Who's the newbie?" the boy asked nicely.

"Hey Drew. This is James, he started yesterday. James, this is my good friend Andrew; we've been friends since eighth grade," Shane explained.

"Please call me Drew. It's nice to meet you James," Drew held out his hand which James shook. "So have you found any girls that perk your interest?" Shane rolled his eyes.

"Drew likes to make a bet with each of the new guys about how many girls would ask for your number before the end of the school day." James just laughed as Drew waggled his eyebrows.

"So, how many girls?" Drew laid a five dollar bill on the table top. "I'm betting two."

"Well that's not very nice," Shane laid down seven dollars. "I'm betting four."

"I'm betting five." James laid down three dollars.

"Are you guys betting on girls again?" came a voice. The three boys turned to see a girl wearing jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt with short black hair. Her small hands were on her hips and she was giving them a stern look.

"Well of course, Brianne. You know I do this with every new guy," Drew gave her a mischievous smile. The girl just rolled her eyes. "Are you going to hold the money for us?"

"I might as well." She held out her hand and Shane handed her the money; then she turned to James. "I'm Brianne, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm James. It's nice to meet you too. So you're pretty much used to this?" he asked.

"Yeah. Sad, isn't it?" she just shook her head. "Here are the rules: you have to get five girls to talk to you before lunch. You can't start the conversation. If you can get five girls to do that, then you win all this money. Deal?" they all nodded their heads. Then Brianne walked away.

"Alright class. Settle down and get in your seats. James Durem, may I see you please?" said a man with thick glasses. James walked towards him; he was given a Chemistry syllabus.

Class went by pretty quickly; every now and then, James would catch Shane glance at Drew and blush a little. James quickly realized what was going on. At the end of class, they had a few minutes to talk before the bell rang.

"So you've got a thing for Drew, huh?" James asked while leaning on his arm. Shane turned towards him sharply with pink cheeks.

"How'd you…" Shane stuttered.

"You've been looking at him all class." Then James looked over to see Drew walking towards them and got an idea. "So Drew, have you heard about the new club, The Hideout?"

"Yeah I'm pretty excited like everyone else; this town was getting a little too boring. You're going, right guys?" Drew leaned against their lab table.

"Heck yeah but I've got no one to go with," Shane said then he turned to James. "You're going with Lily, right?"

"Hopefully. I'm sure we can find you a date. What about you Drew, who are you going with?"

"Well Shane, would you want to go with me?" Drew had a tint of pink on his cheeks.

"Uh…Sure. Thanks for the invite."

"Great. I'll see you guys later."

When Drew walked away, Shane turned towards James with an accusing stare.

"You did that on purpose."

"Did what? I've no idea what you're talking about."

"You got Drew to ask me out." Then the impact of what he said hit him and James slapped a hand over his mouth so he wouldn't say it again but more loudly.

After the bell rang, James made his way to his next class, US History. He tried his best to hurry so he wouldn't be late and so he could see Lily. When he entered the classroom, he was glad to see an empty seat next to her and she gave him a wave.

"Hi. How was Chemistry?" she asked once he sat down.

"It was interesting; especially since I got Drew to ask out Shane," he replied.

"Are you serious? That's awesome!"

"So Lily, even though you just broke up with Derek, would you accompany me to The Hideout on opening night?"

"Sure that sounds like a great plan." Her attention went to the elderly woman that just entered the room. "There's the teacher; let's go tell her you're here."

On their way back to their desks, Lily and James were intercepted by a girl with long, red curly hair. She was wearing a tight bright blue shirt with a short jean skirt and red flip-flops.

"Hi. You must be James. I'm Megan," the girl said, reaching out her hand. James gingerly shook it. "I was just going to let you know if you need a tour or any help at all, don't be afraid to stop by my dorm." She handed him a small piece of paper.

"Thanks. Hey Lily, don't you think it's the perfect coincidence that she just happened to have a piece of paper with her number on it?" James asked sarcastically. He wadded up the paper and threw it in the wastebasket. Megan gave them a pissed off look and walked away. Then Lily and James took their seats.

"I've never known a guy to decline a date with Megan. Every guy practically falls head over heels for her. Even Derek stole a glance at her every now and then," Lily told him; James just shook his head,

"That's ridiculous. Clearly, they only care about her looks," he replied.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" James gave her a confused look.

"What do you look for in a girl?" she had a tint of pink on her cheeks which caused James to smile.

"Well, I mostly care about a girl's personality; but if a girl has good looks, more points for her. Kinda like you, Lily." Her blush grew brighter which caused James to laugh.

"Alright class, settle down. Turn in your books to page 258 and read until page 265, then answer the questions on page 266," the teacher said, writing the numbers on the board.

Throughout the class, James would sneak a glance at Lily to see her still blushing at his comment. He wondered how she felt about him.

"I'm the same way," she said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"I care more about a guy's personality than his looks but good looks add on to the advantage list," she explained. "Kinda like you, James."

They turned and gave each other wide smiles.

'I think I'm gonna like it here,' James thought to himself.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

James and Lily were walking to the cafeteria talking about the US History homework they got when they were intercepted by four guys.

"Hello Lily. Is this James?" one of them asked. He had short brown wavy hair and a scowl on his face. He seemed to be the leader of this group.

"Yes. Why do you care, Tyler?" Lily replied. She placed a hand on James' arm gently.

"You guys must be friends of Derek, right?" James asked.

"Hardly; we just play soccer with the asshole. We just wanted to say 'thanks' sticking up for Lily. She's been a tutor for all of us but we were too…scared to tell him that he was treating her wrong," another guy said; this guy had bright blonde hair.

Lily gave them all a look of confusion and shock. "So you're not going to try anything to harm James?"

"No, but we wanted to warn you. Some of the other team members won't feel the same. They might try something," Tyler replied. "Guys like Brent, Nick, Josh, and Dan. We're going to try to talk some sense into them to back off but I'm not sure how much we can do."

"Thanks Tyler. That means a lot to me, to the both of us," James stuck out his hand which Tyler gladly shook.

"No problem; we were just telling you what's going on."

"It's the least we can do since Lily helped us pass biology our freshman year, then geometry last year," Blondie said. "I'm Rick by the way. This is Tony and Logan." The other two guys gave slight waves. "Well we've got to get going. It was nice meeting you. See you later." The four guys walked away.

"Well that was…surprising," James said. Lily turned to him. "I've never been on good terms with athletes. I always think that they think they're better than the rest of us."

"Some of them are like that, like Brent and Nick. Derek always brought them to fights but never actually raised a fist. He may be good on the field but he fights like a wuss," Lily laughed; James laughed with her.

They went through the lunch line then found the table Shane and Brandy were sitting at. Shane continued to stare at James as he ate his lunch.

"You're still shocked that I got you a date with Drew, aren't you?" James asked smiling.

"Yep," Shane replied smiling. "I owe you, man."

"Whoa how'd you manage that?" Brandy asked.

"Just by mentioning about The Hideout's opening and getting Shane to say he's got no one to go with. But now he does."

"Nicely played, my friend. Nicely played," Brandy applauded him. "So how's your official first day been?"

"It's been interesting, yet good. I've got detention today. What room is it in?"

"Room 210, I believe. You might want to go ask the office to double check though," Lily answered. "James, I really am sorry."

"It's no big deal, really. Besides, it isn't your fault." Then he suddenly remembered something. "Hey Shane, where's Brianne?"

"She's somewhere around here." He raised his head and looked around. "Here she comes."

Sure enough, Brianne and Drew were walking towards their table with lunch trays.

"Okay spill, James. How many girls talked to you today?" Drew asked, giving him a mischievous look.

"Five girls, just like I said. Pay up," James laid his hand on the table and Brianne handed him the fifteen dollars that were bet earlier that day.

"Did you guys make another bet?" Lily asked smiling.

"Why dear Lily, whatever do you mean?" Shane faked innocence and laid a hand on his chest. Lily just rolled her eyes and everyone laughed.

"So guess who just made friends with Tyler, Rick, Tony and Logan?" Lily prompted.

"Are you talking about the soccer snobs?" Brandy asked, before sipping her coke.

"Apparently they're the good kind of soccer snobs. They told me that four other players might come after me for what I did to Derek," James replied. Brandy raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"I think Tony and I have US History together. He seems like a decent guy," Brandy said. She seemed to stare off into space, trying to place his face and name together.

"I don't like any of them. I hate that they never seem to be alone, they're always with another teammate and it seems like they're about to jump somebody," Shane grumbled.

"You've got a point, Shane. Maybe it's because they're not recognized when their alone," James said before sipping his Coca-Cola. Shane raised his eyebrows.

"Hm. Never thought of it as that way." Then his eyes flashed to the clock. "We better get going, James; the bell is going to ring in like four minutes."

With that said, the two boys left the lunchroom and their friends to go to Painting 303. They really didn't talk about anything, but the silence wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, just natural.

"I have to say, it surprised me when you told me that you like to paint," Shane said, opening the class room door. James just shrugged.

"I've always loved doing art. My sister collects it and hangs it up in her room. She's even got a very large bulletin board to pin them up," James replied.

"That sounds cute. I've got an older brother but he's into legal activity; he wants to be a lawyer which could help in the future."

"You don't think you'll need a lawyer in the future, do you? You don't seem like the kind of person to get in trouble with the law, Shane." Shane just shrugged.

"I'll probably lose my temper every once in a while and kick someone's ass but that's as far as I'll go," he reassured.

They walked into the classroom and up to the teacher's desk. There was a gold plate saying 'Rachel Rushton' next to a cup of pens, pencils, and paintbrushes. She was a kind looking teacher with dark brown hair that came to her shoulders. Her black, thin rimmed glasses sat on the edge of her nose and her hand automatically pushed them up.

"You must be James. I'll be your art teacher this year. I would like you to call me Rachel," she offered her hand which he shook. "Shane, why don't you get him some supplies and he'll be the easel next to you. I'll tell you the assignment in a few minutes."

"Sure Rachel." Shane led him to a wall of cabinets in the back and picked out two paint pallets, watercolors, and three brushes. "I'm sure we'll be painting today; she always assigns painting on the day we get a new student."

"That sounds awesome. Why does she like to be called by her first name?" James asked as he set down his supplies on a small table next to his easel.

"She says being called 'Ms. Rushton' makes her feel old. She's only 24 so it's understandable."

"Okay class, today we'll be painting something that James likes since he's our new student," Rachel said as she went to the middle of the classroom. A few of the students chuckled. "So James, what will be painting today?"

"Uh, well, I've always like oceans and beaches," James replied with a dumbfounded look.

"That's a great choice! Class, you have 90 minutes to paint a beach." Her attention turned to a girl with blonde hair as she raised her hand. "Yes, Caitlin?"

"Does it have to be a specific time at the beach? Can it be sunset?" Caitlin asked. She was wearing a tie-dye tank top and paint-spattered jeans with white flip-flops.

"That's a good question. What do you think James?"

"It can be anytime you want," James told the entire class.

And on that note, the class began painting. Every once in a while, a student raised their hand to ask how to mix certain colors or ask James a question and he realized he liked that he got to be the teacher for a day. At the end of class, everyone showed him their paintings and Rachel told him to pick his favorite to hang in the display case but since he couldn't pick, she decided to hang all of them in it.

"That was actually pretty fun," James admitted as he and Shane walked to English.

"Yeah, everyone loves Rachel. A few years ago a rumor said she was going to be fired. So many complaints were made to Mrs. Bethell. Some students even threatened to transfer to Storm's Cross," Shane explained. James couldn't think of a response so he raised his eyebrows. "Thankfully the rumor turned out to be just a rumor. Rachel said she loved how much her students loved her art class. She's strict but only when a student is being disrespectful."

"She's entirely different from my old art teacher; not that I'm complaining. Mr. Crum, my old art teacher, was entirely too strict. I don't even see why he became an art teacher. Some kids said he did it to meet cute art chicks. He was fired after my freshman year 'cause the rumor turned out to be true."

They walked into English and took their seats. There was an assignment written on the board and they were allowed to work with partners. Shane stopped from what he was doing and did a face-palm and groaned. James just gave him a weird look.

"I totally forgot: Derek is in this class. I mean, yeah he's still on suspension but he's going to be back tomorrow," Shane explained. James just shrugged.

"It's his choice if he wants to start shit but I'm sure he won't go far unless he'll get kicked off the soccer team," James replied.

"You make an excellent point. I'd be surprised if he wasn't already kicked off."

Time went quickly and the two friends finished their work and handed it in. The teacher properly welcomed James and told them that they could leave class early. They were walking in the direction of their dorm when they heard their names being called out. They turned to see Brandy jogging to catch up with them.

"Hey guys, what's up?" she asked after catching her breath.

"The teacher let us out early so we decided to go to our dorm. Did you get to leave too?" James asked. Brandy smiled wide and nodded her head. "What class did you have?"

"Chemistry. And if I'm correct, we both have theatre next period, right?"

James fished out his schedule from his back pocket, looked it over, and nodded.

"Sweet. Is it cool if we walk to the back building together?"

"Sure," Shane replied. "So did you find out of Soccer Tony is in your US History class?"

"Yep; he is. I didn't talk to him though. Did you know he hangs out with Anna?"

"Wow, that's surprising."

"Oh you mean that chick that I met this morning?" James asked.

"Yep," Brandy replied.

"So why is it so weird that someone hangs out with her?" Shane and Brandy looked at each other.

"It's not that it's weird, it's just that, well; everyone knows that something happened in the summer between seventh and eighth grade because that's when she started wearing dark colors and she dyed her hair black. Some people think a really close relative died or something," Shane explained.

"That is kind of weird; not that someone may have died but how everyone talks about her."

"Yeah but no one asks her questions about it. Some people think she's into witchcraft and until Tony defended her during her freshman year, she was constantly whispered about."

"So Tony is her protector or something like that?" James asked. They both nodded.

They entered the back building and went up to their dorms to prepare for the last class of the day. Brandy told James that all he needed was a spiral notebook and a pencil. After leaving the building, Shane went off to his own class and Brandy and James went to theatre. The class went by slowly since everyone had to pick a scene from scene books. James decided to do a monologue from Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_ (A/N: it's the only Shakespeare play I like so give me a break). After class, James went to his first day of detention which wasn't all that bad. He got some homework done but he wasn't allowed to go to the library which sucked, in his opinion.

Later that night, he made his way to the cafeteria for dinner with Lily, Shane, and Brandy. He really liked the fact that he was quickly accepted into their group and could spend so much time with them. He wasn't going to let anyone bother him this year, especially Derek.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Derek lay in his bed staring up at the ceiling, loathing James. He was at home with his older brother Adam and younger sister Kiki; his mom was still at work but she was coming home soon.

'I can't believe he took Lily from me. I bet they're already dating, that whore. I should've been on my guard. He's going to pay. She belongs to me and no one else!'

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

**A/N: Will Derek get his revenge? How will James' third day go? Again, why am I asking you all the questions?**

**If you have any questions, please don't be afraid to ask…I'm hoping to submit this story to Apple or Scholastic Books and see if I can get it published. I know it's a huge step but a girl can dream, right?** Chapters 3 & 4 combined


	3. Chapter 3

**Read, enjoy, and please review! I even encourage flames! I want to know how to become a better writer.**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

James woke up to bright sunlight peeking through the curtains. He groggily wiped his hand across his face and turned to look at the alarm clock shared by Shane and him; the red digital numbers glared 6:30 AM. He looked up at the open bathroom door on Shane's side of the room to barely see his dorm mate brushing his hair or teeth. He sat up and stretched before walking over towards his dresser. After both boys were dressed and had everything they needed, they walked downstairs to the girls' floor to wait for Brandy and Lily. Shane kept chuckling at James' disgruntled look.

"You really aren't a morning person, are you?" Shane asked, while leaning against a hallway wall.

"No, I'm not. I'm just glad that classes start later than my old school; they started at 6:15," James replied, once again stretching. He was wearing blue jean shorts, a black Linkin Park shirt and his Air Speed shoes; his black messenger bag was slung over his shoulder.

"That's not so bad. You just have to go to bed early and set an alarm."

They turned to see Lily and Brandy walking towards them; even high-spirited Brandy look tired. She gave a slight wave while yawning. Lily was wearing an orange button-up shirt with blue jeans and her black converse. Brandy was clothed in a black button-up shirt, jean shorts and black Mary Jane type of shoes.

"Even if I go to bed at 6:30 in the evening, I still wouldn't be a morning person," James said as he led the way downstairs.

"Brandy, are you okay?" Shane asked with worry.

"Yeah, I just had a lot of homework to do last night so I stayed up late. Man, my English, Algebra 2, and US History teachers love giving homework," Brandy replied. She covered her yawn with a hand that had purple-painted fingernails.

"The _real_ problem is she can't concentrate on it," Lily assured. "Brandy has always been that way." Brandy nodded in agreement.

"Well, what if we did a study session after classes today in the library? That way, we can help each other and I can see what kind of book collection we have," James said, opening the cafeteria door.

"That sounds like a great plan. I forgot you haven't been to the library yet," Shane said.

"Sure, I've needed a tutor for a while now actually," Brandy said.

"What subject are you having trouble in?" Lily asked. Brandy put a hand to her chin to show that she was thinking.

"Algebra 2 is my hardest class."

"I can help with that."

The four friends turned to see a girl with long black hair wearing a white button-up shirt with a black, knee-length skirt and black boots.

"I didn't know you were an Algebra 2 whiz, Anna," Shane confessed. Anna just shrugged.

"I'm actually not. Math has always been an easy subject for me. So you need help with Algebra 2, Brandy?"

"Yeah, we just agreed to do a study session after classes today. You're free to come," Brandy replied.

"I'll be there. Just bring your notes and book and I'll help as much as I can." With that said Anna grabbed a box of juice and walked away.

After the friends ate breakfast, everyone, except Lily, went to their first hour class. Lily walked back to her dorm to make a quick phone call. She dialed the number and waited for the person to answer.

"Hello, Lily. How are you?"

"Hello, mom. I'm doing pretty well. Can I ask for a favor?"

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Chemistry and US History went by pretty quickly for James; they only took notes for the upcoming tests. As he was walking to Algebra 2, he felt the presence of someone walking besides him. He turned to see Brandy as her usual self, cheery and loud.

"Hi James. Ready for class?" she asked. He just shrugged. Then her eyes widened and she stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Oh no, I forgot that Derek is in our class, this hour."

"I really don't care. Like I told Shane yesterday, its Derek's choice if he wants to cause problems," James replied. He and Brandy took their seats and patiently waited to see how the class would turn out.

A few minutes later, Derek walked into class with a look that resembled an enraged bull and his target was James. He pointed a finger and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I'm going to kill you! You took Lily from me!" he shouted.

"No, I didn't. She broke up with you because you're a jackass," James replied calmly.

"I was the perfect boyfriend for her. I am the soccer star!"

"That doesn't mean shit, Derek! You treated her, and her friends, badly!" Brandy said in defense. James looked at her and realized there was heat between them.

"She spent more time with you and that faggot than she did with me!"

"That is enough! Derek, out in the hallway now! Everyone, get to work. The assignment is on the board," the teacher, Mr. Collam, said.

"I'm not going anywhere unless it's me and James outside to fight!"

"I'm not going to fight you, dude, and get over it. And it's not because I'm weak or afraid, because I'm not, it's so I don't get suspended like you."

"My suspension was _your_ fault!"

"And how, Derek, was it his fault, when _you_ were the one that slapped Lily?" Mr. Collam asked. He grabbed Derek's elbow and led him outside, then turned back to the class. "Everyone, do your work."

All the students turned to Brandy and James and started whispereing.

"If someone has something to say to us, then say it to our faces," Brandy yelled out.

"We're just saying how stupid Derek is for wanting to get in a fight," a girl replied. She had short platinum blonde hair and she was wearing a white halter and jeans.

"I agree with Laci; and he's also stupid for blaming James for his suspension. It's about time someone for to stick up to him," a boy said. There were heads nodding in agreement.

"And I think it's stupid that it had to be James to be the one to defend himself! He's a new guy, for crying out loud! So many of you say he's a rude jackass but no one did anything," Brandy glared at everyone. Very many students slumped in their desks and looked guilty.

"You make a good point, Brandy. And thanks for defending me," James said. Brandy gave him a smile. "Now let's shut up about it and do our work or _we'll _be the ones in trouble."

There was the sound of books opening and voices asking for pencils or paper for the rest of class. The teacher walked back into class and sat down in his desk. Everyone waited for Derek to follow him in but he didn't and students started whispering.

The rest of the day went by quickly as the morning did. No one questioned James about what happened in Algebra 2 and he was happy about it. The drama had ended quickly without anyone getting more harmed.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

The group of friends and Anna met in the library after classes and got plenty of homework done. James and Lily decided to stay after everyone had left.

While they were perusing the fiction section, Lily turned to James with a sad look on her face.

"I'm sorry for the trouble Derek caused you. Brandy told me what happened," she said.

"Lily, you've got to stop apologizing for him. It's not your fault that he's got an over-ego," James replied gently. Lily just shrugged. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Look, let's just forget about him, ok? Yeah, he may try to blame me again and cause more trouble but we should just ignore it. The Hideout opens next week. We should be excited about that. I can tell the school is going to be rushing about, trying to get everything done so they can go."

"Yeah, I agree. That's what happened when the arcade opened. The principal even canceled school so students wouldn't have to worry about being late the next day. She'll probably do the same thing."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that we have school on Saturdays." Lily chuckled then her facial expression turned sad. "Lily please, don't look that way. You look better when you're smiling and laughing. I talked to Shane this morning and he said you started worrying more when you and Derek were dating."

"Brandy says you're what I need to lighten up again. They're both right and so are you. I can't be worrying about Derek anymore; that's his mom's job. Besides, we've got that test in US History that we have to study for. Even though it's this Friday, we should still study a lot and be prepared." They both laughed.

Then they just stood there, looking into each other's eyes while James' hands were still on her shoulders. They both started to lean into each other, slowly closing their eyes when the door of the library caused an echo by closing and startling both of them. James moved his hands to his pockets and smiled at Lily, who was turning pink while she twirled her hair with her finger.

"I meant to tell you, every Saturday night, we like to lie on the dormitory roof and star-gaze. Would you like to join us? You are practically part of the group, you know," Lily suggested.

"Sure sounds like a great plan," James said while giving her a knowing smile.

As they were walking away from the library and towards the dorms, James' hand brushed hers and she blushed. For a quick second they held hands and both were smiling.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

**A/N: OK so what I'm probably going to do is skip a few days to Saturday. Now don't forget: the students have classes on Saturday. Nothing exciting is going to happen except more assignments and studying so yeah…Please review! I cannot stress that enough**


	4. Chapter 4

**Day 6**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Brandy blinked her eyes open as she woke from a good night's rest. She turned her head and looked at the purple wall clock; it said 6:15 AM. Then her attention turned to her dorm mate, Courtney, who was fast asleep. Brandy slowly crept from her bed and opened her dresser. She picked out a light blue cami and jeans.

After she got dressed, she grabbed her backpack, phone and wallet. Before leaving, she patted Courtney's leg to wake her up. As she walked to Lily's dorm, her mind went to the opening of The Hideout next week.

'Even Shane's got a date for The Hideout. I was hoping we could go together as friends,' Brandy thought to herself. 'Now I'll have to find someone to go with.' The thought made her go through a list of guys in her head. She had made it halfway through the list when Lily's dorm door opened and she stepped out wearing a black button-up shirt decorated with silver butterflies, jeans and her black converse. Her hair fell gently to her shoulders and her backpack was slung over one shoulder.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Lily asked.

"Yep. What about you?" Brandy replied; Lily nodded.

Brandy's mind went back to the day she first met Lily during their freshman year.

_Brandy had a cousin that used to work in the school's office as a secretary, so she often went there to borrow money or just to talk._

_ When Brandy walked into the office one day, she saw a new girl talking to her cousin. The girl was wearing a white button-up shirt, a knee-length black skirt and tan sandals. Her cousin thought it would be a good idea for Brandy to give the new girl, introduced as Lily Stower, a tour and possibly become her friend. Brandy showed her around and introduced her to Shane, who had been her friend since the 6__th__ grade. And that's how their friendship formed._

"Earth to Brandy. Anybody home?"

She snapped back to the present to see that Shane and James had joined them and they were all giving her concerned looks.

"Sorry…I was doing a flashback in my head," she said; they chuckled. They started walking downstairs to the cafeteria.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to the fact that we have school on Saturday," James admitted. He was dressed in camouflage shorts, a black My Chemical Romance shirt, and Air Speed shoes.

"You sound surprised that we do. It's understandable since we have so much free time. If we didn't have classes today, do you know how many kids would get in trouble? They would be getting stoned, drunk, and anything else you can think of," Shane said. He was wearing an open black and white plaid button-up layered on top of a wife beater with jeans and black Converse.

"You make a good point, Shane," James replied.

"I'm so glad that I studied for my Chemistry test for the past two nights…I would've surely failed if I didn't," Brandy said, wiping a hand across her forehead. "And that study session we had helped with Algebra 2 as well."

"So you think we should do more sessions?" Lily asked. Everyone nodded. "Then how about we meet in the library every Wednesday after classes?"

"That sounds like a great plan, Lily. I'm glad that I didn't come too late into the year or I would've had to catch up on a lot of stuff," James said, opening the cafeteria door.

However, the cafeteria was close to empty. The friends looked around strangely and noticed that the few kids in there didn't have their class supplies with them.

"That's odd…Usually this place is packed on Saturday mornings. They give out free waffles and bagels today," Brandy said. She walked over to a table where there were only two students seated. After talking to them, Brandy walked back. "They said that classes start an hour late today. Apparently, Mrs. Bethell made a call to the staff to tell the students."

"Then why weren't we told? This isn't a practical joke, is it?" James asked. He had a strange feeling about this.

"No, it's not James," Anna said, walking up. She was dressed in a thin-strapped black, knee-length dress and sandals. "Ms. Scott came by my dorm last night and asked me to tell each dorm the news. I asked two other girls to help but apparently, they didn't help enough. She also asked two boys to do the same."

"But why is this happening?" Shane asked. He led the way to a large round table and everyone sat down their bags.

"I'm not for sure myself. I think something happened in town last night."

"Some car windows were shot out."

Everyone turned to see Drew and Brianne walking up, looking a little scared and pissed off. Drew was wearing a long sleeve white shirt with the sleeves pushed up and jeans. Brianne was dressed in a dark red, knee length dress.

"You've got to be kidding me," Lily put a hand to her forehead. James gave her a strange look. Drew shook his head as he sat down next to Shane.

"The principal was called during dinner last night and after the students went to bed, she rounded up a few teachers and they went to the police station to find out what happened. Apparently, they think one of the students got drunk or high and shot out windows with a B-B gun or something."

"How'd you guys figure this out?" Anna asked. It wasn't an accusing question, just a curious one.

"I was late getting back to my dorm because I had to stop by the library and find a book for English when I heard the commotion. When I was walking back, I saw Brianne rushing towards me. Apparently, she had been in the office when Bethell got the call," Drew replied. When everyone turned to Brianne, she explained.

"I had to talk to her about some of my classes. After she answered her phone and hung up, she rushed out to the main office and told me to go back to the dorm. I followed her and heard her explaining to the teachers about the incident," she explained.

"But how does that affect the classes?" Lily asked.

"I have no idea."

"Maybe the cops wanted teachers to go looking for any students," Brandy offered.

"But why didn't they do it themselves?" James asked.

"Because they didn't want to alert the kid that shot out the windows. If a student sees a teacher walking towards them outside of school, it's probably because they missed an assignment, or they're in trouble for skipping a class but if they see a cop walking towards them, you know they are going to freak out," Anna explained. Everyone just gave her shocked looks. She just shrugged.

"You make an excellent point, Anna. But we have students here that should know better than to pull something like this."

Everyone turned to see Mrs. Bethell standing a few feet from their table, wearing a navy button-up shirt and khakis. She didn't look angry or surprised that they were talking about the incident.

"Good morning, Mrs. Bethell. How are you?" Lily seemed to be the only one unfazed.

"I'm quite alright, Lily. Thank you for asking," the principal gave her a wide smile then gave everyone her attention. "It's come to my attention that this little group of friends has had troubles with Derek Reed?"

"That's an understatement, Mrs. Bethell. He's caused trouble with many students although we seem to be his main target since he was dating Lily," Shane replied.

"I see. Would any of you think that he's the one that committed this act of violence?"

"Not but it would make sense. A few days ago, he was taken out of Algebra 2 because he tried to pick a fight with James," Brandy said.

"Yes I heard about that. Derek was taken home and we talked to his mother. Well, forget what I said children. Have a nice day," and with that said, Mrs. Bethell walked away. Everyone looked at each other strangely, but they decided to just shrug it off.

"So what should we do for the next hour?" Drew asked.

"We could go to the library and study. We've got that quiz in Chemistry," James suggested.

"Oh crap! I totally forgot!" Brianne said loudly. "I've got to run back to my dorm and grab my book and notes. I'll meet you guys there." And with that said, she jogged out of the cafeteria.

"You guys go ahead; I have to talk to Mrs. Bethell," Lily said, standing up and grabbing her backpack. She gave a slight wave and walked off.

"Shane, would you mind if I shared your notes and book?" Drew asked sheepishly; he had a slight blush on his cheeks.

"It's not a bother at all, Drew," Shane replied.

"I'll see you guys later. I'm going to go to my dorm," Anna said waving.

"Okay. We'll see you later," Brandy said, giving her a wide smile.

The four friends walked towards the library talking about the incident. James was the only one quiet and Brandy noticed this.

"James, are you okay? You've been quiet ever since we left the cafe," Brandy said. He turned to her with a frown but it quickly changed to a smile.

"I'm fine. I'm just curious as to why Lily went to talk to Mrs. Bethell," he replied.

"Or you just can't stand being away from her," Drew mocked, clasping his hands together over his chest and batting his eyelashes. James playfully punched him in the arm and everyone laughed.

"I hope Lily doesn't forget about the star-gazing tonight," Shane randomly stated.

"Star-gazing?" Drew asked curiously.

"Yeah. Every Saturday night, we go on the dorm building roof and look at the stars, sharing junk-food and ghost stories," Brandy explained.

"We do not share ghost stories," Shane said smiling. "Although that's a cool idea."

"You're free to come, Drew. The more the merrier," Lily said, walking up and smiling.

"Well that was a quick talk," James said. Lily just shrugged.

"I had to double-check on something. So where are we going?"

"We're going to the library to study," Shane told her.

"Good, I've got to study for a quiz in English anyway."

"Oh crud! We have a quiz in English too?" Drew said, covering his face with his hands.

"That's right, you're in my English class, aren't you, Drew?" Lily asked smiling. He nodded with his face still covered.

"C'mon it's not _that_ bad, I'll help you study for both quizzes," Shane said, pulling Drew's hands away and giving him a heart-warming smile.

"Thank you Shane. You're my life-saver," Shane said smiling back.

"Oh just-"Lily slapped her hand over Brandy's mouth before she could continue. What Brandy had been about to say was 'Oh just kiss and get it over with already!' Everyone looked at the two girls curiously.

"Don't mind her. She's just…being Brandy," Lily gave a forced laugh and Brandy laughed with her.

So for the next hour, the friends studied together; looking at notes and their textbooks to prepare for the day's quizzes.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoO**

**After classes, walking up to the roof after dinner:**

"Man I am _so_ glad that we studied for that chemistry quiz," Drew said with a voice full of relief. He stretched his arms above his head and gave a tiny yawn. Everyone smiled at him.

"I agree completely. I actually understood the work I did in Algebra 2 since I looked over my homework," Brandy said. She was carrying a large, soft quilt.

"I wonder why Lily had to go to the roof ahead of time," James said. He was carrying three bags of chips in a large bowl.

"She likes to set up the roof a certain way to make sure we're comfortable. Don't ask why, that's just the way she is," Shane explained. He was carrying a two-liter Coca-Cola and Mountain Dew.

"So Brandy, do you have a date for The Hideout?" Drew asked casually. He knew that James was going with Lily and he was going with Shane, but he had no idea who Brandy was going with. She blushed at the question.

"Actually, yes; I do," she replied. Her mind thought back to earlier in the day.

_'I knew I shouldn't have gone back to my dorm,' Brandy thought to herself as she jogged to her US History class. _

_ Just as she rounded the corner, she ran into someone which caused her to fall down. Luckily, only a few books fell from her backpack and she was unhurt._

_ "Ohmigosh! I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching…" she trailed off once she got a good look at the person she ran into. _

_ He was rather tall, with sandy-brown hair and a nice tan. He was wearing an open black and white plaid button-up with a black wife beater, tan shorts, and black tennis shoes. He had a gold cross necklace around his neck. _

_ "It's okay. You're not hurt, are you?" he asked while bending down to help gather her belongings. She shook her head in response. "Good. You must be Brandy. I'm Tony." She shook his outstretched hand then he helped her up._

_ "You're in my US History class, aren't you?" she asked, blushing. Tony chuckled and nodded. "I'm really sorry that I didn't notice before. Thank you for helping me pick up my stuff."_

_ "No problem. I'm just glad that I'm not the only one running late," he flashed a bright smile which caused her to blush more._

_ All through class, they had cast glances at each other and after class, he had asked her to go to The Hideout with him._

"Who asked you?" Shane asked, smiling.

"Tony; the same guy that warned James about Derek," she replied blushing.

"Awesome. So now we can all go together! It'll be like a triple date!" Drew said smiling. Shane turned towards him sharply, blushing; Drew hadn't realized what he said.

"A date…" Shane mumbled, blushing even deeper. Then he turned to James who just smiled at him. "I fucking owe you," he whispered which caused James to laugh.

By then, the group of friends were on the roof. Lily was standing there, with a light switch box.

"I want to officially welcome James into our little group," she said smiling. She hit the switch and the friends gasped in awe.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoO**

**Me: so I hate to leave you guys with a cliffhanger, but I choose to do that. Please review! **Chapter 6


	5. Chapter 5

**Day 6 continued. The friends just walked up to the roof to see Lily's surprise**

**Last Time:**

By then, the group of friends were on the roof. Lily was standing there, with a light switch box.

"I want to officially welcome James into our little group," she said smiling. She hit the switch and the friends gasped in awe.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The friends started slowly walking around with their sparkling eyes full of surprise as they took in what Lily had done. She had strung up paper lanterns on tall, silver rods that seemed to blend in with the dusk background so it looked as if the lanterns were floating in mid-air. The light illuminated the garden-box flowers that were placed everywhere; on the ledge of the roof, and even on small tables. In the middle of all this was a small, bird-bath fountain that trickled water with a very soothing sound that seemed to relieve everyone of their stress. Lily watched with a wide smile as her friends stared everywhere with mouths agape.

"Lily…this is incredible," Brandy said, breaking the silence with a whisper.

"This is beyond incredible," Shane said, breathless. Drew nodded in agreement.

James wasn't able to say anything because he was in total shock that Lily would do this for him. When they made eye contact, they both quickly looked away, blushing. He walked over to her and took the light-switch box from her hands and set it on a nearby box. Then he wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug.

"Thank you Lily. This is…just breath taking," James finally said. She was a bit surprised when he hugged her but she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"How did you manage to do all this in a short time?" Brandy asked while she spread out the quilt on the ground beside the fountain.

"That's the other surprise," Lily said, stepping away from James. She stood next to fountain and gave a huge smile. "You can come out now."

Immediately, Shane, Drew, and Brandy's eyes lit up as a little girl stepped out from behind a crate of flowers. She had long, midnight blue hair, amber eyes that glistened in the light, and had pale skin that reminded James of moonlight. She was wearing a thin-strapped, lavender dress and white ballet flats. As soon as she saw Brandy, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Brandy's waist.

"Rose! Ohmigosh! I'm so glad to see you!" Brandy said. She picked up the small girl and spun her around. When she let go, Rose rushed over to Shane and Drew and wrapped her arms around their necks, giving them both a tight hug.

James stood awkwardly to the side as the little girl smiled at Brandy, Shane and Drew. He guessed that this wasn't her first time here. When her attention turned to him, he gave a slight wave and smile. She walked towards him and smiled.

"You must be James. Lily told me all about you," she said sweetly. Her voice was smooth as crème and gentle. "I'm Rose, an old friend of Lily's." She outstretched her hand which she shook.

"It's nice to meet you Rose," he replied. "Do you mind if I ask why your name is Rose? It seems a bit confusing because you don't look like a Rose."

She turned around and slightly pushed down her left strap. On her shoulder was a birthmark of a fully-bloomed rose. Brandy came forward and leaned down to give Rose another hug.

"I should've known you helped Lily with all this. How have you been lately?" she asked. Shane, Drew, and Brandy started talking to Rose, catching up while Lily motioned James to take a walk with her around the roof.

"This is Rose's fifth time being here. When I introduced her to Brandy and Shane, they fell in love with her. And she met Drew while in town and recognized him when she came to visit. Mrs. Bethell lets her visit sometimes so I thought it'd be a nice surprise for them to see each other again," Lily explained.

"I can see why they love her so much. She's very cute and sweet. I didn't think this school was so lenient about letting nine-year-old kids come visit," he admitted.

"Well, usually they're not. My family is very important so the school board made an exception." Lily looked as if she didn't want to explain further so James didn't make her.

"I really can't believe you did all of this just to make me feel welcome." He reached for her hand and their fingers intertwined.

"In just a few days, you've made a huge impact on my life, James; a good impact of course. You gave me courage to break up with Derek, and you just give a lifting atmosphere when you're near people. You won't stand for unnecessary drama and you're a very, very kind person." She blushed as she said all of this yet she had a very serious look in her gentle, sea-blue eyes. James couldn't believe that they had gotten so close over a period of a few days.

"Lily…I just don't know what to say. When I saw how miserable you looked or even talked about Derek, I just couldn't take it anymore. A beautiful girl like you shouldn't have to put up with that. I didn't really do anything except be by your side."

"And that's all I needed." Her grip on his hand tightened.

"When I first saw you, I automatically knew that my life would make a change for the better. I used to get into fights all the time and I was having a hard time passing my classes. But when you walked into the office on my first day here, I knew that I had met someone incredible, even if we didn't become close friends." He pulled her in for another hug and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Other people might say we got too close too fast but…It's just indescribable."

She looked up at him with happy eyes and he smiled at her. Very slowly, they leaned into each other and their eyes closed, just as in the library. His hands moved from her waist to her neck and he started stroking her jawbone. When their lips connected, it seemed as if everything else fell away: the roof they were standing on, the lanterns, even their friends. Neither of them wanted the kiss to end; they wanted to stay like that forever. When they broke apart for air, James' eyes were barely open and Lily kept her eyes closed. He put their foreheads together and wrapped his arms around her waist. She smiled and silently let a happy tear fall down her cheek.

"It's about time!"

James and Lily turned from each other to see Brandy, Drew, Shane and Rose standing there smiling at them.

"James, I want to let you know: you didn't just make an impact on Lily's life, you made an impact on all our lives. We're happy that you're here. Yeah, sure it's only been for a few days, but we are more carefree and happy. You've made Lily incredibly happy, which in turn makes us incredibly happy," Shane said.

"Wow Shane, that was really deep," Drew said, turning to him with a look of shock. Shane just smiled and shrugged.

"But he tells the truth. Who knows how much longer Lily would have been with Derek if you hadn't come along. He would've caused more trouble with us and we would've stood by and let it happen," Brandy admitted.

"Even I don't like Derek. But I must warn you, he will try to get his revenge. He supposedly claimed Lily as his own and since she's no longer with him, Derek will make your life a living Hell," Rose said. Everyone nodded.

"Rose, how do you know this?" Lily asked with concern.

"I did a little spying on him." Rose smiled innocently; Lily just shook her head and smiled.

"I don't care what he does to me but if he tries to hurt Lily, Brandy, Shane, or even Drew, I will go after him," James said sternly. Rose gave him a look of what looked like approval.

"Lily, you know that you have to tell your parents."

"Yes I know but once my mother meets him, she'll understand completely." She seemed to send a silent message to Rose with her eyes and Rose nodded.

"Let's forget about Derek and eat some chips! I'm starving!" Drew called out.

"Oh Drew, this party isn't just for James; it's for you as well. Welcome to the group," Lily said. Drew just stared at her and turned to Brandy and Shane and they smiled.

"Well thanks Lily. That means a lot to me."

"Now let's eat!" Brandy called out.

While they walked back towards the fountain, James' and Lily's hand brushed and her face turned a bright red.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoO**

**In the home of the Stower family:**

Lily's mother stopped reading her book and took off her reading glasses. She stood from her chair by the fireplace and walked over to the window, smiling widely.

"What is it dear? Do you sense something wrong?" her beloved husband asked.

"No, not at all. As a matter of fact, something very good just happened," she replied.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

**Me: so what did you think? I'm sorry if there is any confusion **Chapter 7


	6. Chapter 6

**Derek has been suspended yet again from Lucky Clover's Boarding school. Today is Sunday, which means the students don't have classes. R&R**

**Day 7**

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Derek walked around the small town, still angry with his ex-girlfriend. He was wearing a plain maroon shirt, jeans, and Nike tennis shoes.

"I can't believe Lily left me for him! He isn't even her type!" he muttered angrily.

"Are you talking about Lily Stower?"

Derek looked up to see a teenage girl leaning against a light pole. She was wearing a dark decorated with a gold star, jeans, and Mary Jane shoes. Her grey-amber eyes burned into Derek's bright blue eyes.

"What's it to you?" he asked harshly.

"I want revenge since she broke my brother's heart," the girl answered.

"Revenge, huh? Now you're talking my language. I'm Derek; who are you?"

"Just call me Dana," the girl smiled coyly.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

**At Lucky Clover's:**

Lily and James had left breakfast early to spend some time alone. Since there weren't any classes, students were free to do almost anything at all. Lily was wearing a white shirt decorated with silver butterflies, a knee-length black skirt, and tan sandals. James was wearing a red Big Red shirt with jeans and his black Converses.

"Man I am stuffed!" James said, patting his stomach; Lily giggled.

"I am too. Those pancakes and hash browns were delicious; as was everything else," Lily replied.

Even thought they sort of told their feelings for each other the night before, Lily and James still felt awkward showing public affection.

"I wish Rose could've stayed longer. She's really cute and friendly."

"Her parents are a little strict; of course, Rose is only nine years old," Lily explained.

"Good point"

They made their way towards a grove of tree with vivid red and orange leaves, which were gently falling to the ground. James kept sneaking glances at Lily, who seemed disturbed.

"Lily is something bothering you?" he asked with a voice deep of concern. She turned to him with a surprise expression, and then gave a waning smile.

"Yes, everything's fine. I'm just thinking," she replied.

"What'cha thinking 'bout?"

She stopped walking and stared sadly at the ground. James stood a foot from her.

"James…if I tell you something, do you promise to treat me the same? Do you promise to not treat me…like a monster?"

"Of course Lily. Why would I treat you like a monster?" his brow deepened.

"Because I am a vampire."

The silence that followed was deep and long, filling the air. Lily's sea-blue eyes drilled into James' slightly widened brown eyes.

"You're….You're a vampire?" James whispered.

"Yes. Only you and Brandy, along with my family, know," she replied.

James looked around and saw a nearby rosebush. He walked over to it and tore off a thorn branch.

"Then prove it." When he cut his palm deep enough to bleed lightly, he immediately saw the effect it had on Lily,

Her eyes went from sea-blue to blood-red and her pupils became slits. When she walked towards him, James noticed she had even more grace than before.

"I don't know if I'll be able to stop," she admitted; James just shrugged.

Lily then flicked her tongue over the wound and her expression turned to bliss. She pressed her hand closer to her mouth and he let her. After a minute or two of Lily sucking James' blood, she pushed her away gently.

Her eyes went back to normal and she wiped blood from her face. Lily then realized what had happened and she ran from James.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

**Dormitory Hallway:**

"I can't believe The Hideout's opening is in five days!" Brandy excitedly exclaimed. She was wearing a lavender dress with blue flip-flops.

"I heard that Bethell is going to cancel classes just for the event," Shane smiled. He was dressed in a tight, white shirt decorated with random spirals, jeans, and his black Converse.

"Man I am so pumped for this!" Drew threw his fist in the air which caused Brandy and Shane to laugh. Drew was dressed in a loose black Eminem shirt with jean shorts and his blue skater shoes.

Suddenly, they saw Lily rush by with tears streaming down her face. The three friends stood there in shock until Brandy pulled out her cell phone and dialed James' number.

"Brandy!" he gasped when he answered.

"What the Hell did you do to Lily?" she yelled angrily.

"Nothing! Why?"

"She just ran by crying her eyes out!"

"Brandy, she told me."

"…I see. Go to the dorm's roof, I'll meet you there."

"Right." Then he hung up and Brandy bolted up the stairs. Drew and Shane just looked at each other.

"You go ahead. I can tell it's a private matter. I'll be in my dorm," Drew smiled.

"Thanks Drew," Shane kissed him on the cheek, then followed Brandy.

Drew just stood here, cupping his cheek and blushing.

"Yes!" he exclaimed loudly.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

**Roof:**

When James arrived panting, he saw Brandy and Shane comforting Lily.

"Lily!" he called out.

"James!" she rushed forward and embraced him. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to run but I felt so ashamed. I shouldn't have done that!" she sobbed. He looked to Brandy who just smiled a little.

"Shh, Lily. Shh. It's okay; you have nothing to be ashamed of," he kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her.

For a few minutes, they stood there, letting Lily calm down. Even though Shane was completely lost as to why Lily was so upset, he kept quiet; he figured he would find out eventually.

"We need to go shopping," Brandy stated. Everyone gave her confused looks. "We have to buy new outfits for The Hideout. Plus, a shopping trip will cheer everyone up."

"Yes, yes we do," Lily laughed. She turned to James and lightly kissed him. "I'm sorry to have worried you."

"You're calm now, that's all that matters," he smiled.

"Oh my God," Shane said aghast.

"What?" Brandy asked.

"I kissed Drew on the cheek 'cause he understood this situation!' Shane covered his face with his hands. "I don't even know if he _likes_ me!"

"I'm pretty sure he does; he was blushing a little when he asked you to The Hideout," James explained; his arm was around Lily's waist. Shane peeked at him through his fingers.

"Invite him to go shopping with us; I'm inviting Tony," Brandy said, pulling out her phone. While they talked on the phone, Shane started texting Drew, telling him to meet them at the main offices in ten minutes.

"I think we should split up when we get to the mall; that way, our outfits will be a surprise to our dates," Lily stated.

"That's a great idea, Lily," Brandy said after she hung up with Tony.

"So I'll go with Tony and Drew," James said.

"And I'll go with Brandy and Shane," Lily finished smiling.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

**1 ½ Hour Later:**

The group of friends was gathered at a large table at the food court in the mall having lunch. The mall was a two-story building, with the food court taking up the second floor.

The friends had decided to buy little knick-knacks before lunch so after they were done eating, they would split up. So far, Lily had bought two novels, a sweater, and a stuffed cat for Rose; James had bought some new jeans, a necklace for his mom, and a stuffed rabbit for his sister; and Brandy had bought a photo album, a new camera memory card, and silver hoops earrings. Tony, Drew, and Shane decided to not buy anything until after lunch.

"I am so excited about The Hideout!" Brandy yelled out happily.

"I am too. It's about time this town got a club for teens," Tony stated.

"Yeah; the movies, mall, and arcade are fun, but they were starting to get boring," Drew agreed before eating some fries.

"So Shane, is any reason why you're shopping with the girls?" Tony asked curiously. Shane's eyebrows rose as he drank some Coca-Cola.

"I grew up with three sisters so I'm used to giving my opinion on girls' clothing choices," he explained. "I'm also used to waiting outside the dressing rooms while my female friends try on clothes." Tony gave him an understanding look.

"Do you know if Anna is going to The Hideout, Tony?" Brandy asked.

"She said she's going to give it a shot but she'll probably stay in her dorm and read or something."

"Well it looks like I'm finished eating. Brandy, Shane, are you ready to shop some more?" Lily asked standing up.

"Yep, I'm ready," Shane replied. Brandy nodded and stood up as well.

Shortly after they left, James, Drew, and Tony walked to a semi-crowded store for teenage boys. As they were looking through some shirt racks, three familiar boys walked up.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't James and the traitor Tony," the leader said. He had chestnut brown hair and deep brown eyes.

"Traitor? Just 'cause I'm on the soccer team doesn't mean I Have to be one of Derek's lackeys," Tony sneered.

"Why I ought to…" one boy stepped up. He had dark black hair with eyes to match.

"Now, now, boys. Do we really want to fight and get kicked out of the mall?" Drew stepped up and spread his arms.

"No one asked you, faggot," the leader said and the other boys laughed.

"That's enough. Leave them out of it. You want to fight, fine; let's take this outside," James curled his hands into fists.

"You boys aren't causing more trouble, are you?"

All of them turned to see Brianne standing there with her arms folded across her chest. The look in her hazel eyes was a mix of amusement and anger.

"Brianne!" Drew gasped. "What are you doing here? Last time I checked, you hated coming to the mall." She just shrugged then turned to the soccer guys.

"Are y'all really gonna let Derek boss you around? Lily left him 'cause he's a jackass. Has he ever given you credit for being a good team?" Brianne asked; they looked down sheepishly. "That's what I thought. Tell him to back off."

"You make a good point, Brianne," one boy said.

"Yeah, we never thought of it that way. We're sorry guys, really," the leader said sincerely; the others nodded in agreement. When they walked away, Drew turned to her.

"I'm telling you: you have a gift to make people come to their senses," he smiled widely.

"If you say so. I've got to do some more shopping so later." With that said, Brianne walked off and linked arms with another guy.

"So _that's_ why she was in a boy's store," Drew realized. He smacked his forehead, laughing.

"Tony what's wrong?" James gave him a concerned look since Tony was making a weird face towards Drew.

"Why did they call you a 'faggot'?" he asked Drew.

"Probably 'cause I'm bisexual," Drew replied calmly, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Why?"

"No reason; I was just curious."

"You're not a homophobe, are you?" James asked, his brow deepening.

"Hell no! Some of my cousins are gay and it's never bothered me before."

"Good."

After purchasing some clothing, the boys walked to the mall's plaza to meet up with the girls and Shane. When Tony saw Shane, he looked to Drew and did a face-palm. Drew just laughed.

"Just figured out he's my date didn't you?" he asked; Tony nodded, smiling. Shane blushed at the word date.

"So did you boys have fun?" Brandy asked.

"Yeah, but we got into a little trouble," James replied. He gave a quick kiss to Lily before wrapping an arm around her waist.

"What kind of trouble?" Lily asked.

"Just some soccer guys wanting to pick a fight with James," Tony explained.

"No worries: Brianne came and talked some sense into them," Drew smiled.

After the friends left the mall, they headed back to the school to drop off their purchases; then they opted to go see a movie and chill out. Little did they know that they had a shadow following them everywhere.

**Me: so what did you think? I have to say: I'm getting sad that this story isn't getting any reviews….Ah well –shrugs- **Chapter 8


	7. Chapter 7

**Day 8 **Chapter 9. Really, I have 9 chapters but since I combined Chapters 1 & 2 as well as 3 & 4, I only have 7 chapters. Sorry for the confusion.

As James and Shane were getting ready for the day, there was a knock on their door. After pulling on a shirt, Shane answered the door to see Tony standing there, wearing a grey polo shirt, jeans, and Nike tennis shoes. He motioned for Tony to come in and take a seat.

"Good morning guys. I thought you might want to know that classes will start an hour late," Tony said, sitting at a desk. James and Shane turned to him sharply.

"Were more car windows shot out?" Shane asked.

"Actually, this time, shop windows were. I texted Brandy about the news and she said she would tell Lily."

"How did you find out?" James asked.

"Mrs. Bethell told Anna and Anna told me. The principal sees Anna as the mom of the dorm," Tony explained.

There was another knock at on the door and this time, James answered to see Drew standing there sleepily rubbing his eyes.

"So you guys have already heard," Drew assumed when he saw Tony. "Brianne texted me. She and I going to town before classes to see the damage. I was wondering if Shane wanted to go with us."

"Sure, let me finish getting ready," Shane replied, walking towards the bathroom. A cell phone chimed and Tony pulled his from his pocket.

"Brandy and Lily are waiting for us downstairs," Tony informed everyone.

James and Tony met up with Lily and Brandy downstairs; Shane and Drew had already left for the small town that served as Lucky Clover's campus. Lily was wearing a black shirt decorated with lavender stars, jeans, and her black converse. Brandy was dressed in a bright, tight pink shirt decorated with stacked TV's, jeans, and her Air Speed shoes. They were seated in the near empty cafeteria.

"There is no way that this is Derek's doing," Tony stated firmly.

"What makes you say that?" James asked.

"Usually, when he gets pissed –which I assume he is- he kicks soccer balls like there's no tomorrow."

"Could it be a Cross student then?" Brandy asked.

"That sounds like a possibility," James said. "I mean, if our rivalry is that big –"

"Which it is," Tony threw in.

"Then one of their students could be setting this up to blame Clovers'."

"Good theory James except for one problem: Cross students aren't allowed off campus."

James and Brandy turned to see Brianne walking up to their table wearing a Paramore shirt, jeans, and Mary Jane's.

"Brianne? Aren't you supposed to be in town with Drew and Shane?" Tony's brow was furrowed.

"Drew asked me if he could use me as an excuse to hang with Shane," she explained.

"Anyway, what were you saying about Cross?" Brandy prompted.

"They can't be causing these crimes unless they're sneaking off campus."

"Lily, what do you think about all this?" James asked when he noticed she hadn't said anything.

"I think I need to talk to a few people before I make conclusions," she said. She flashed James and Brandy a look, which they both noticed.

"I should go call my mom and check up on her," James stood from the table.

"I'll go with you," Lily followed him from the cafeteria.

**In town:**

The small town was busy as residents and shop owners were walking about, assessing the damage.

"Look, the arcade's windows are gone," Shane pointed to a large, two-story brick building.

"This is crazy. I cannot believe someone would do all of this," Drew said as he pulled out his camera phone. Shane smirked at him.

"So, Brianne decided not to come after all, huh? Kind of last minute, don't you think?" he asked.

"Uh…yeah. She had some studying to do," Drew wouldn't look at Shane.

"Really? What class is she studying for?"

"Oh you know…that class with the book…and assignments…" When Drew made eye contact with Shane, he threw his hands into the air. "Fine! You caught me! I wanted to spend time with you! Is that such a crime?"

"No, but it's cute," Shane quickly kissed him on the cheek. "Just like you." Folding his arms behind his back, he walked away.

"You just called me cute…" Drew said with widened eyes. He walked behind Shane and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Thank you for the compliment."

"Oh just kiss him already!"

They turned to see Brandy and Tony walking up to them, smiling.

"So where's Brianne?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"She had some 'studying' to do," Shane used air-quotes around the word 'studying.' The four friends laughed.

**Meanwhile, in Lily's dorm:**

James and Lily were standing in her dorm while he used her phone to call his mom and sister.

"Hello?" answered a confused woman's voice.

"Hey mom, it's me. I'm using a friend's phone," he replied.

"James! I'm glad to hear from you! How is the school?"

"I love it already. I've made some friends and the classes are easy. Mom, have you watched the news lately?"

"Yes; I've heard about the shot out windows. Alice and I are so worried about you."

"Is sis okay?"

"Yes dear, she just misses her big brother. She's at school right now."

"Tell her I miss her and I miss you."

"I miss you too. Oh, and great news: I've found a job at a nearby bakery!"

"That's awesome!"

"I know! I'm excited! I've got to go dear, my shift starts in an hour."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later. Love you mom."

"Love you too James. Bye!" With that said, James' mom hung up and he gave back the cell phone.

"How is your family?" Lily asked.

"They're both doing fine. My mom got a job so she's happy about that," James chuckled; Lily smiled. "So spill: what do you know about the incidents?"

"I'm assuming that a rogue vampire is behind them." She sat down at her desk. Since Lily had a single dorm, she had more space to move around.

"What's a 'rogue vampire'?"

"They are born into vampire families but they don't follow the rules and cause trouble. They commit crimes and harm humans. We try to catch them and put an end to them."

"We being…who?" James confusedly asked.

"Basically, the top vampire family." She laid her head on the desk.

"Hey, you don't have to give me the full explanation. Just tell me how to spot a rouge vampire when I see one." James walked over and started massaging her shoulders.

"They have stormy-grey eyes." Her shoulders slumped and she sighed contentedly.

"I'm guessing this feels good?"

She barely nodded her head and James chuckled.

**During US History: James and Lily**

As the teacher was lecturing about the Civil War, the P.A. system turned on.

"Attention, every student and staff member is to report to the gym immediately. I repeat, every student and staff member is to report to the gym immediately," the principal said.

Soon after, there wasn't an open seat in the gym. Mrs. Bethell and all of the teachers were gathered on a makeshift stage in front of the entire student body. When the principal stepped up to the microphone, everyone quieted down.

"As many of you know, there have been windows shot out in town. I was just informed by the chief of police that the culprit appeared in town wearing a ski mask and they shot out more windows," Mrs. Bethell explained. Many of the students turned to one another and started talking.

"Quiet!" Ms. Scott called out. Everyone gave her their undivided attention.

"The police pursued the culprit into a dead-end ally where they discovered the culprit disappeared. The chief of police is turning his attention to our school since Storm's Cross students are not allowed to step off their campus."

"That's crazy!" a student called out.

"We would never do anything like that!" another yelled angrily.

"We shouldn't be the ones to blame!"

Mrs. Bethell raised her hand and once again, everything became quiet. "I know that we have taught you better than that; we have taught you to be more mature. But know this, if any of you is assisting the culprit in _any_ way, you will be punished. Because of the current circumstance, classes have been canceled. You are dismissed."

Lily, Brandy, James, and Shane made their way to the dormitory's roof to talk. Tony and Drew decided to just chill in their dorms.

"Lily, I think you need to call Rose," Brandy said once they were under the autumn's sun.

"Why should she do that? Don't tell me you think Rose is behind this," Shane said. The others looked at one another. James and Brandy nodded and Lily turned to Shane with sad eyes.

"Shane, there's something I have to tell you. I told Brandy this our freshman year and I should've told you as well." Lily paused, looking at the others. "I'm a vampire."

"What? That can't be true," Shane said, disbelieving.

"It is."

Shane looked upset that he wasn't let in on the little secret. He looked to James who wouldn't make eye contact. "So you know too?" James nodded.

"Shane, please understand."

"Oh I understand alright. I understand that you didn't think I was important enough to know," Shane stormed off and made his way to his dorm. When Brandy went to go after him, Lily held her back.

"Let it sink in…" she said sadly. Brandy nodded in agreement. Lily pulled out her phone and dialed Rose's number. "Rose? It's Lily. There have been a few problems in town and I assume a rouge vampire is behind them." She listened to Rose's response. "Okay, I'll be sure to keep you updated." Lily hung up and slipped her phone into her pocket.

"What did she say?" Brandy asked.

"She'll tell her parents to keep their eyes open on any suspicious activity." Then she walked to the roof door. "C'mon, let's go talk to Shane."

**James and Shane's dorm:**

Shane was laying on his bed, glaring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. When Lily, Brandy and James walked in, he turned away.

"Shane…Please listen. It's not that you're not important enough, because you really are. It's just that…I didn't know how close we would become. I know it was wrong for me to tell James before I told you, especially since we just met him but…" Lily shook her head firmly. "No, I don't have an excuse. Please forgive me Shane; I really am deeply sorry," Lily looked at him. Shane sat up in his bed and looked at each of them.

"I guess you couldn't let many people know huh?" he asked. Lily nodded.

"But I don't care about that rule anymore; however, I won't go running down the street yelling it to the sky." That caused everyone to laugh.

"I'm sorry that I got upset…" he stood up and gave everyone, even James, a hug.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner but Shane, you have to promise me something: you can't tell anyone else," Lily held out her pinky. Shane connected his pinky with hers and smiled.

"Of course. But I have one question: what about Rose? What's her story?"

"Rose is a vampire too," Brandy answered.

"I knew it!" James yelled out smiling. Everyone laughed.

"So when you say you're old friends with her, you really mean that you're _old _friends," Shane assumed. Lily shrugged and nodded.

When they heard a low growling, they all looked at Brandy and she blushed fiercely.

"Come on, let's go grab a bite to eat; it'll be my treat," Lily said.

The four friends looped arms and walked through town, talking about anything and nothing at all.

Derek and Dana stood in a dark alley, watching the friends go by. Derek turned to her with a pissed off look.

"I thought you said your plan would work," he hissed.

"All in good time, Derek. All in good time," Dana smiled her coy smile. He turned his attention back to the small group of friends.

'You _will_ be mine again, Lily. Don't think I'm kidding around,' Derek thought to himself.


	8. Chapter 8

**Day 9 chapter 10.**

The next morning, James and Shane woke up to the screeching of the alarm clock. James stood from bed and stretched his arms above his head. He motioned to the bathroom and Shane shook his head, saying he didn't need it. While James was in there, Shane slipped on a Family Guy shirt, jeans, and socks. When James emerged from the bathroom, Shane walked in and brushed his hair and teeth. James decided to wear a Green Day shirt, black jeans, and his black converse. He grabbed his school supplies and stuffed them in his bag.

The boys walked down the stairs to meet up with Lily and Brandy as they did each morning. Lily was dressed in a red Mickey Mouse shirt, jeans, and her black converse. Brandy was wearing a purple and black striped sweater dress with ripped leggings underneath along with her Air Speed shoes. They waved to each other and made their way to the cafeteria. Since classes were actually being held today, the cafeteria was full of students like it should be.

"I'm kind of glad we're having school today. It was getting just a little boring," Brandy said, sipping some chocolate milk.

"I agree completely," Shane said. When he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket, he pulled it out and gave a sad expression. "Drew won't be joining us this morning. He just woke up and he won't have time."

"Hey Brandy, where's Tony?" Lily curiously asked.

"He's with Anna. He told me he feels that he's been rejecting her lately so he's going to hang with her," Brandy replied.

"Did you guys realize that we have three days until The Hideout's opening?" James randomly asked.

"Oh crap! I totally forgot! It's a good thing we already went shopping," Shane stated.

"I hope we still get to go what with these problems and everything."

"I wonder if Cross students will be there," Lily said.

"We'll just have to wait and see, I guess." Shane looked up at the. "We better get going; class will start soon."

"Okay. See you girls later," James waved to Brandy and Lily and exited the cafeteria.

"What are you thinking about Lily?" Brandy asked with a concerned voice.

"I'm just a little nervous about The Hideout."

"Why's that?"

"Derek could be there."

"That shouldn't matter. If he tries to cause any more problems with you and James, I'll intervene."

"Thanks Brandy. I really appreciate that." The two girls threw away their trash and left the cafeteria.

"By the way, when is he supposed to come back?" Brandy wondered aloud.

"I thought he was already supposed to have started classes again. Maybe his mom wanted him to get some time away or something," Lily replied. Brandy just shrugged. They waved and went to their separate classes.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

James, Shane, and the rest of the class sat in their desks, listening to the teacher's lecture. They were learning about Boyle's law and reviewing for a test that was on Friday. When the bell was about to ring, the teacher said he would continue the next day. Everybody packed up their notebooks and pencils, and then turned to each other to talk. Drew walked over to James and Shane's lab table.

"Hey guys, what's up?" he asked.

"Not much really. Excited about The Hideout?" James asked.

"Heck yeah, I am." He gave them both a wide smile. "To be completely honest, I'm glad I'm going with you Shane. I didn't want to go alone."

"I'm glad I'm going with you too, Drew," Shane gave him a sincere smile. "What are we going to do until Saturday night though? The Hideout doesn't open until eight in the evening and there are a lot of day hours to waste."

"You have a good point, Shane. Maybe you and I could just walk around or something," Drew implied.

"I heard the owner is a really cool guy that moved here just last year. Hard to believe a new guy just showed up and opened a club for teens," James stated. Drew and Shane just shrugged, and then the bell rang. The guys gave slight waves and went to their classes.

James walked into his US History class and sat down next to Lily. He turned to look at her and he smiled. She gave him a questioning glance.

"I just can't wait until Saturday; hopefully by then, the police would've caught the Window Culprit," he told her.

"'The Window Culprit'?" Lily asked laughing. James nodded and smiled widely. "I agree with you completely though. I hate that this is only your second week here and there's already so much drama."

"It's not a bother unless someone gets hurt. Let the bored fill their lives with petty rumors." James shrugged.

"You bring a whole new light to this school by saying things like that."

"Alright class, let's start with where we left off from yesterday," the teacher said after the bell rang.

An hour and a half later, the class finished their notes on the Civil War and the bell rang. The students gathered their belongings and headed to their next classes. James and Lily waved to each other and they went separate ways and he made his way to his Algebra 2 class. Brandy perked up when he walked into the rooms.

"Hey what's up?" he asked smiling. She shrugged her shoulders then her attention turned to the class door in which Derek just walked through.

Everyone, including the teacher, watched him as he made his way to his seat where he pulled out a binder and pencil. When he noticed everyone's eyes were on him, he just shrugged. When he made eye contact with James, his eyes went steely but Derek didn't do anything except look away.

"Alright class, today we'll be going over polynomials and binomials. Would someone let Derek borrow their notes so he can catch up?" the teacher addressed the class.

The class went by slowly and every few minutes, James would catch Brandy glancing at Derek. He decided to pass a note to her.

_What's up? Is everything okay?_

She quickly read the paper and replied.

_Yeah, I'm just worried that he'll try something._ When the teacher's back was turned, she tossed the note onto his desk. James read it and quickly wrote a reply.

_ Let him try something and get suspended again. As long as he doesn't hurt you, Lily, Shane or Drew, I'm not going to fight him. He needs to get over it. _ When Brandy read the note, she turned to James and nodded.

After the class finished taking notes, the homework assignment was given and since they worked together, James and Brandy quickly finished it.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

When James finished dressing after PE, he walked to the cafeteria to join up with his friends. As always, Brandy and Shane were the first ones there to save a table. They both waved when he sat down.

"So Derek didn't try anything?" Shane asked suddenly. James shook his head. "Then something _has_ to be up. He doesn't easily let things go."

"Are you guys talking about Derek?" Drew asked when he sat down.

"Yeah, his suspension is over," Brandy replied.

"Great," he said sarcastically.

"What's great?" Lily asked.

"Derek's back at school," James informed her.

"He hasn't tried anything has he?" she asked worriedly.

"No and hopefully he won't. I have to say though, I'm a little worried about Tony," Brandy's brow was furrowed.

"Why is that?" Shane confusedly asked before sipping his Coca-Cola.

"Well, they're teammates; Derek might consider him a traitor since he started hanging out with us. And if he doesn't do something directly, he might get the other players to go after Tony. I'm sure some of them are still on Derek's side."

"You make a good point," Drew said; everyone nodded in agreement.

"What's a good point?" Tony asked, sitting down with his lunch tray.

"Derek's back at school," James repeated. Tony slumped into a chair.

"Fantastic."

"Do you think he'll try to go after you?" Brandy asked.

"Nah, he's too much of a wuss."

"What about the other players?" Tony just shrugged.

"Screw them, if they want to be Derek's lackeys and do his dirty work, let them. That way they'll have something to fill their pathetic lives."

"Wow…That's a little…harsh," Drew said.

"Just because I play soccer with them doesn't mean I have to like them. We act like friends so we'll play better."

Suddenly, they heard a cell phone's chime and Lily pulled hers from her pocket. When she got done reading it, she nodded her head.

"Who was it?" Shane asked.

"It was my older brother. He plans on going to The Hideout and he wanted to confirm it opens this Saturday," she replied. He could tell she was lying because she looked him dead in the eyes and every few seconds, her eyes would flicker to Brandy.

"I didn't know you had an older brother," Tony stated.

"Not very many people do. He's a senior but he doesn't go to this school. I also have a little brother; so I'm the middle child."

"How old is your little brother?" James asked.

"He's 9 years old."

"Hmm…Maybe he and Rose could have a play-date with my little sister. She's only 8 but hopefully they won't mind."

"That's not a bad idea at all. Maybe we can have a costume-Halloween party. Halloween is in like five weeks."

"Oh crap! You're right Lily! I totally forgot! We have to come up with some plans for Halloween!" Brandy's eyes widened.

"I'll talk to my parents," Lily said. She didn't say anything about having a party because she didn't want certain people to hear but Brandy and Shane understood.

"Have you guys noticed that there haven't been any window shootings lately?" Tony asked randomly.

"Well it's only been a day but maybe the culprit gave up," Drew said.

"Oh, you mean 'The Window Culprit'?" Lily asked smiling and looking at James. He smiled back at her.

"We've got to go, James class starts in a few minutes," Shane stood from the table and grabbed his lunch tray. The two boys left, waving to their friends.

"I've actually got to go too; my fifth slot is being an office aid," Drew said.

"I'll walk with you since I have the same thing," Lily stood and hugged Brandy. "Will you be okay?" she whispered in her ear.

"Yeah, I'll be fine; let James and Shane know what's going on," Brandy replied quietly. Lily nodded then walked away with Drew.

"Well, we better get going too, don't you think?" Tony asked. Brandy nodded solemnly. "Is everything okay, Brandy?"

"Yeah; I think I ate too much or something," she smiled reassuringly. Tony shrugged and he stood from the table with Brandy following behind him.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

When Shane sat at his easel in Painting, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, reading the message.

"Who's it from?" James asked when he noticed Shane's disturbed expression.

"It's from Lily. Here, read it," Shane handed him the phone and James read it over slowly.

_Tell James what this message says: Brandy says Tony isn't what he seems. She doesn't think its right that he's talking bad about his teammates, especially since some of them are his friends. –Lily_

"Yeah I noticed that too. I thought he seemed like a really cool guy," James said after he handed back the phone. Shane nodded in agreement.

"Class, settle down please. Today we'll be painting forests," Rachel said as she made her way to the middle of the room and students.

The rest of day went by quickly since there wasn't much to be done; the friends met up on the dormitory roof when classes had ended. Brandy had brought her large, soft quilt to sit on while they conversed. There were still some flower boxes lying around from Lily's surprise the past weekend.

"So am I the only one that noticed something's wrong with Tony?" Brandy asked.

"No, I've never known to hear him talk badly about anyone," Drew said. "But what he said at lunch was harsh."

"I agree completely. Hey Lily…" Shane didn't finish. He looked from her to Drew and she understood the silent question.

"Drew, before we continue this conversation, there's something you should know if you're to be close friends with all of us. Everyone else knows except Tony and Derek. Before I tell you, you have to promise that you won't tell anyone else," Lily stated seriously.

"I pinky promise," he held out his pinky which Lily crossed with hers.

"I'm a vampire." His eyes widened then he turned to everyone and they nodded.

"Okay; I believe you," he said sincerely.

"Lily, do you think someone could have influenced him to act different?" Shane asked.

"I only know one vampire that could do that and I _really_ hope she's not in town," Lily looked really worried and afraid.

"What can she do?" Drew asked.

"She can basically rearrange your entire personality, if that makes sense."

"So she can turn a good person bad?" James asked; she nodded. "What's her name?"

"Dana."

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

**Me: so please tell me what you think. I honestly have to say that I'm really upset that people aren't reviewing this story. I know that ****Rivals Turned Lovers ****was great but…please, review.**


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